Wrexham: Five per cent of 11 to 12-year-olds are smokers

Young girls in the county are taking up the habit at more than double the regional rate

Five per cent of girls aged 11 to 12 in Wrexham are smoking and many admit they’ve tried or are using e-cigarettes, a shocking new study has found.

Research aimed specifically at girls in that age group shows that 2% are smoking across North Wales – with Wrexham youngsters taking up the potentially deadly habit at more than double the regional rate.

A crack down in the town is now under way with a hard-hitting campaign being developed to deter young girls from smoking and the Trading Standards team is being urged to introduce control measures around the sale of e-cigarettes to under 18s.

A total of 34 schools (54%) returned surveys completed by 1,191 Year 7 girls for the report commissioned by Public Health Wales on behalf of the North Wales Tobacco Control Alliance.

The areas found to have the most smokers was Rhyl (Denbighshire), Queensway, Plas Madoc, Wynnstay (Wrexham, Glyn (Conwy), and Shotton Higher (Flintshire). Anglesey and Gwynedd was found to have no smokers aged 11-12.

A series of focus groups with up to nine pupils in each were held in the most-prevalent areas with feedback showing e-cigarette use is widespread, with more than half of those spoken to in Wrexham admitting they’ve used one or are currently doing so.

It also revealed that e-cigarettes are easy for children to get their hands on either from parents, friends, shops or in one case a pizza premises.

The rise in e-cigarette usage stems from “vaping” – the use of various flavoured vapours that go with e-cigarettes – and the fact many girls see them as being “better” or “not as bad” as smoking normal cigarettes.

Andrew Jones, executive director of public health for Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, said: “Two per cent of 11-12 year old girls smoke, with prevalence rising to five per cent in some communities.

“The study found that awareness and use of e-cigarettes was common place in some areas – most of the girls who took part in focus groups could name at least five different flavours of vapours which include strawberry milkshake, gummy bear and bubble gum.

“Some were not aware that e-cigarettes could have nicotine in them and most felt that e-cigarettes were ‘not as bad’ as cigarettes.

“The girls questioned said they were not confident to ask an adult to stop smoking around them or to quit but were willing to challenge friends or boyfriends who smoked. Those questioned also thought that TV characters that smoke set a bad example.”

Wrexham council’s lead member for children's services and education, councillor Michael Williams added: “I welcome this report which demonstrates that work is required with this age group to discourage smoking.

“I am also very pleased that Wrexham young people will be amongst the first to benefit from intervention which has already begun and look forward to seeing what improvements are made with this age group in the future.”

The research, which was undertaken by Social Change UK, forms part of the All Wales Tobacco Control Alliance’s action plan to drive down adult smoking by reducing the uptake of tobacco use among children.

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The Editor

Mark Thomas

Liverpool-born Mark joined the Daily Post in January 2014 after seven years as editor of its Merseyside sister title the Liverpool Post. He started out as a weekly news reporter on Wirral Newspapers, and spent seven years at the Daily Post and Liverpool Echo. He was The Press Association's regional correspondent for North Wales, Merseyside and Cheshire from 1983 to 1997, before returning to the ECHO as deputy news editor. He has won a number of journalism awards, including the UK Press Gazzette Regional Reporter of the Year award, and in 1993 wrote a book on the James Bulger murder.